Preps: Proposed realignment plan could force area teams to go to great lengths for games

Created 06/18/2012 - 6:37pm

The TSSAA finished its Board of Control meeting late last week with no resolution regarding a revised region plan for football that could dramatically alter some schools’ travel requirements.

Teams in formerly all-Nashville area regions face some of the biggest changes if the five-class format is approved. The potential regions the TSSAA presented would go into effect for the four-year period beginning in 2013 and are based on current enrollments.

A new Region 6-5A basically would combine old regions 5-AAA and 6-AAA with Brentwood High, Centennial, Franklin, Independence and Ravenwood (5-AAA) lumped in with Antioch, Cane Ridge, Hunters Lane, Overton and McGavock (6-AAA) in a 10-team league.

A proposed Region 6-4A would have the biggest change with Lipscomb, Glencliff, Hillsboro and Hillwood forced to cover much more ground. The four Nashville teams would move in with Columbia (50 miles from Nashville), Lawrence County (90 miles away), Shelbyville (60 miles away), Tullahoma (75 miles away) and the new Summit High in Spring Hill.

Maplewood and Whites Creek probably faced the biggest changes. The rivals would be the only two Nashville schools in the proposed 10-team 5-4A Region. They wind up with, among others, Gallatin, Kenwood and Springfield.

Because of possible dip in enrollment, Maplewood might drop to 3A.

Other local 3A schools Christ Presbyterian Academy, East Lit, Pearl-Cohn and Stratford would stay in the same region (a new Region 6-3A) but would add DeKalb County, Giles County and Marshall County even though Page High and Spring Hill are closer to Nashville.

Most Division I coaches appear to prefer the proposed change from six classes back to five, which was in place from 1993 2008.

The Board of Control next meets July 12 at which time the proposals, which were tabled last week, will be voted upon.

Coaches and administrators have a lot to sort out.

• MBA names Anderson: Montgomery Bell Academy has named long-time assistant Mike Anderson as head coach of its baseball team.

He replaces Thomas Wims, who resigned recently. Wims had a 204-140 record in 11 seasons, which included a 2004 Division II state championship.

Anderson had been Wims’ assistant for nine years. He played on MBA’s 1993 state championship team and was a catcher for current New York Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey both at MBA and at the University of Tennessee.

• Marcum on the mats: Franklin Road Academy has named Austin Marcum as its new wrestling coach.

Marcum, a 2007 FRA graduate of the school, was a member of the Panthers’ 2005 state championship team, a three-time All-Midstate wrestler and played collegiate football and baseball at Rhodes College in Memphis.

• Cumberland hires Susewind: Former Belmont University and Nashville Metros defender Eric Susewind has been hired as the women’s soccer assistant coach at Cumberland University.

A Houston native, he was a four-year starter at Belmont and also played for the Metros’ Premier Development League (PDL) team three seasons (2004, 2005 and 2007).

• Risley’s final season: David Lipscomb High School volleyball coach Kerry Risley said that the coming season will be his last with the program. His daughter Lauren will be a senior on the team.

• More offers for Lindsey: Christ Presbyterian Academy rising junior Jalen Lindsey has received his eighth and ninth Dvision I basketball scholarship offers, from Cincinnati and Georgia, within the last week.

• School is renamed: Long-time basketball coach Jim Fey said his school, formerly East Literature Magnet, has been renamed East Nashville Magnet school, effective at the end of the school year last month.